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Without a question or doubt, NBA 2K is a renowned sports game series that has dominated the virtual basketball scene for over 20 years.

In this article, we’ll be looking at the rise and fall of the franchise and delving deep into the games that made NBA 2K the best in its genre.

The Rise of NBA 2K

The Greatest.

That’s what the 20-year-long running NBA 2K franchise was all about. Ever since its debut back in 1999 for the Sega Dreamcast with Sega Sports NBA 2K, no one expected to have such a serious basketball game that combined the same thrill and fun of the real-life counterpart.

It has long been the biggest rival of EA Games’ NBA Live for more than a decade especially back in the early 2000s when the emergence of sports simulator games began to blow up.

But due to 2K Games’ more realistic approach on the NBA than EA Games’ focus on fast-paced arcade hoop-em-up, the basketball gaming community simply preferred the 2K series for its true-to-source-material gameplay.

In fact, people loved NBA 2K so much more than NBA Live, EA Games had to cancel their release in 2010 and 2011 after 21 years of annual basketball game releases since Lakers vs Celtics and the NBA Playoffs back in 1989.

The NBA 2K series has reached its peak from 2010 to 2015, making it a benchmark game for the basketball league.

It was like there was no stopping them.

The Fall of a Champion

It wasn’t until 2016, the year NBA 2K17 was released, when fans began feeling something awfully suspicious about the game.

2K Games claimed they have yet innovated the genre with more immersion and better shooting mechanics but it just felt more of the same except it was buggier than 2K16.

Suddenly the game has added microtransactions to make purchases like shoes and other apparel despite making them an in-game grind just how it always was.

Players tolerated that and still thought it was a pretty decent game.

But the community sparked when NBA 2K18 came out and the MyCareer mode was unplayable without having to purchase microtransactions for small things like a haircut or even a tattoo.

The DLCs were overpriced too and it would only take a sucker to bite the pill.

The game once again felt recycled. Except for the free-roaming online game lobby that used to be crowded at first and then became empty the following months.

NBA 2K18 was a shame even if a gaming media like IGN gave it a high score. Fans knew the game was turning into a shameless cash grab.

Independent critics who gave it a low score was threatened by the personnel from 2K Games and demanded to raise the scores higher.

The community lost its respect.

And now here we are, with NBA 2K19—quite possibly the most downright unfinished game in the franchise. 2K Games proclaims it’s their greatest achievement but woke gamers knew they’re just recycling at this point and slapping microtransactions and lootboxes here and there.

Fans lost its respect for the game and its publisher even more after Belgium banned them for the usage of lootboxes as a form of gambling and 2K had the audacity of pleading gamers to fight against the rule of the Belgian government so they can put more microtransactions.

It was at this moment the community knew that the reign of the 2K Games was all over.

What used to be such an innovative and feel-good game that players have come to know and love has become another by-product of corporate greed capitalizing on the gamer’s passion for the franchise.

But not everything is grim about the series.

Today we’ll be looking at the greatest NBA 2K games that fans have cherished even to this day.

Presenting the Top 5 Best NBA 2K Games in the Series:

These will be in particular order, starting from where everything started it all.

5. SEGA Sports NBA 2K

Let’s take a blast from the past into 1999.

Ah yes, 1999. What a great year for basketball that was: The lockup, the 3-month halt on the NBA season but hey, jokes aside, it was great to see the twin towers Tim Duncan and David Robinson win their first championship for the San Antonio Spurs.

It was also a great year for the SEGA Dreamcast, introducing their flagship NBA game, SEGA Sports NBA 2K. It was the mark of a new rivalry between two companies over a similar genre.

EA Games did feel threatened by the true-to-source-material that NBA 2K put in that rivaled their own NBA Live 2000 a lot.

When SEGA closed its doors down, the 2K series was acquired by Take 2 Interactive and made its own branches, 2K Games and 2K Sports.

It was here that the start of a new dynasty for NBA games has begun.

4. NBA 2K10

Even though NBA 2K9 got good scores from the critics, the fans were displeased by the lack of content. It was just a straight-out NBA game with nothing else.

That was until NBA 2K10 showed up and it lit up the audience like a Christmas tree. It was packed with so much content and along with the release came the much-awaited MyCareer mode and Crew.

Finally, players would know what it’s like becoming a pro in the NBA as soon as they got drafted from the D-League.

It was the most addictive part in 2K10 as it was deeply engrossing and it was basically an RPG for NBA fans.

Crew was another awesome feature that felt like the crazy ode to the fan-favorite NBA Street series by EA Sports BIG but with a more realistic touch.

People forgave 2K Sports for NBA 2K9.

3. NBA 2K13

“Executive Produced by Jay-Z”, the cover back then wrote.

NBA 2K13 was the last main basketball game that focused on the PS3 and Xbox 360 era. Thankfully, 2K13 was a great last hurrah for the two consoles that would retire for the next generation.

The most prominent feature here is MyTeam mode—it had lootboxes but they were free and very exciting as every box was a reward.

The other cool feature about 2K13 was the added cutscenes to the ever-improving MyCareer mode which made things more believable than ever before.

Crew mode got a good revamp and with even crazier gameplay that made this entry a fun while.

It was through the Crew mechanics here that would go on to transform into Pan-Am mode later on in the series.

2. NBA 2K16

For the hardcore fans, this was the last good NBA 2K16 before the company got into the corporate greed.

Forget the Spike Lee story in the game. It was the return of Pro-Am that got the fans’ attention.

It came back with so much hype and that hype was satisfied with plenty of customizations and the ability to host tournaments.

Online mode was drastically fixed and the graphics just looked better than ever.

To a lot of players, this was the GOAT in the series, but you cannot agree more to our #1 NBA 2K game;

1.NBA 2K11

You loved it, we loved it. Everyone loved it. NBA 2K11 was considered the pinnacle, not only in the NBA series but in every other sports game at the time.

It was so good, it even got a nomination for Game of the Year—a nomination that sports games hardly earn.

What’s not to love about 2K11? Everything was so good even from the little things that turn out to be worth the time.

Situation was a scenario simulator where you can be able to practice how to clutch in a tight moment like a tie-ball game with 2 seconds on the clock and the ball is with you or having to block a fastbreak dunk by a Shooting Guard from behind.

Jordan Challenge was the cream of the crop in the game as it let you relive the best moments of the Michael Jordan era in the 90s, from the Flu Game to the Finals against their archnemesis, Utah Jazz.

Another great feature here was the ability to put Michael Jordan to whatever team you want him to be in and even lets you choose which MJ you want—the rookie, the peak, or the after-retirement.

You can even battle out MJ and the Chicago Bulls with the modern teams too.

It was also the biggest overhaul in the basketball mechanics that made this the brand-new benchmark for the future releases.

Ah, Pokemon Go. Remember all the craze it garnered back in 2016 and everyone was outside as groups or by themselves, walking the streets while staring at their phone and people shouting they found Ponyta in the corner of the park?

Or maybe all the ruckus in malls and schools, where organizations were holding public events for children to go hunting for Pokemon all over the vicinity like weeaboos following a waifu pillow tied on a string?

Those were the good times.

Pokemon Go is still one of the biggest mobile games out there and people are still catching those rare Pokemon.

But don’t you just hate when you’ve finally found where Bulbasaur is, and you’re taking a deep breath hoping that you capture him, but only for your phone to either crash or have its battery drained before you could even flick your finger? Yeah, it sucks as much as trying to collect Mewtwo with a dozen ultraballs until you’re fresh out and fail miserably.

In this article, we’ll be checking out the best mobile phones to play Pokemon Go in 2018.

Before we get into the phones, we have to check what makes a good phone to play Pokemon Go.

What’s the best phone to play Pokemon Go with?

According to Niantic, Inc., here are the Pokemon Go requirements:

Android 4.4 to Android 6.0.1 (Android N will not support until the official Android release)

Preferred resolution of 720×1280 pixels (Not optimized for tablet)

Strong internet connection (Wi-Fi, 3G, or 4G)

GPS and Location Services

Intel CPUs are not supported

This means the game is accessible to a lot of mobile phones as long as the OS is up to date.

Knowing what the best phone should be will be based upon the features that make playing Pokemon Go much better.

a. The SoC (System-on-Chip)

In layman’s term, unlike computers, a smartphone is backed up by a SoC, which is an all-in-one device that stores everything that makes up the phone–graphics processor, the signal strength, you name it.

Think of it as the equivalent of a CPU.

There are variations of SoC, such as Apple has their own kind, but for this article, we’ll be focusing on SnapDragon SoCs.

So why Snapdragon? Simply because they’re very durable and they’re the most distributed SoC for Android devices, particularly for the latest phones.

It’s developed by Qualcomm–a manufacturer whose main creations are SoCs, but the Snapdragon is considered the best in their lineup.

The Snapdragon SoC is, in fact, a very good kind of chip that powers the phone.

With this kind of SoC, you’re guaranteed to have smooth gameplay on Pokemon Go.

b. Battery Life

Just like we’ve stated earlier, the last thing you want is for your phone to shut down before you catch that rare pokemon.

We’ve included phones that will guarantee you to be able to roam around in the field for at least a good 16 hours so you can maximize your Pokemon Go play session.

c. Screen

We’ve looked at the very best phones that make the game’s aesthetics pop-up than the average phone.

These phones are made with either AMOLED or LCD technology, but either way, as long as it shows Pokemon Go wonderfully, it really shouldn’t matter much.

While most phones provide HD resolution, some step their game up with Quad HD. The latter, of course, delivers pixel-perfect display but in the case of Pokemon Go, it only needs just the standard HD to get it running well.

d. RAM

Pokemon Go runs heavily when opened and if your phone doesn’t have enough RAM to support it along with other running apps in it, then the game is going to lag and eventually crash if it’s too heavy.

On the bright side, we have a good selection of phones that have at least a decent amount of RAM to cope up with the game for a smooth experience.

e. Gyroscope

Majority of phones have this technology already but some are just above and beyond the rest.

Gyroscope plays an important part in displaying the pokemon on screen without getting jaggy.

A smooth gyroscope performance will ensure that whatever you want to capture on the screen will stay there and doesn’t shake as much as trapping a pokemon inside the ball.

The game has a built-in Augmented Reality mode (AR) but we recommend switching it off. Trust us, the gameplay is smoother that way.

Top Mobile Phones to Play Pokemon Go

Without further ado, here are the best Pokemon Go compatible phones.

Reminder that we’ll be analyzing the phones based on their performance for Pokemon Go and not the features that are irrelevant to the game.

Take note that these are in no particular order.

1. HTC 10 — An all-around phone that is highly responsive for playing Pokemon Go

The HTC 10 is still one of the best mobile phones in the market right now thanks to its lower price compared to its competition.

HTC has always done well in the smartphone market but the 10 is quite possibly still one of the best in their store to date.

It has been around since 2016 but that doesn’t mean it’s outdated. Even up to today’s standards, the phone really holds well thanks to its high-performance technology.

It may look like the generic Android phone on the outside but for its price, you’d be surprised on the inside. The phone performs as much as its higher-priced competing mobile phone brands–even more at times.

Here are the features that make this a great phone:

3000 mAh battery, which means you can play Pokemon Go for quite a long period of time as long as there’s not much running apps at the same time.

4GB of RAM which is good enough for the game.

5.2” LCD screen which shows the game colorfully.

Wonderful Quad HD that displays Pokemon Go in very high resolutions.

Fantastic sound quality, even on loudspeakers.

Seamless Pokemon Go gameplay thanks to its Snapdragon SoC

In today’s economy, this is one of the best cheap phones for Pokemon Go right now and if you don’t have plans to buy a fancier more elegant phone, then this is just right for you.

The phone is such a bang for your buck for all the value it gives on such a low price.

3D glass back designwith rounded edges allow for easier grasp while playing

Smooth Pokemon Go gameplay thanks to its latest Snapdragon SoC

Storage ranges from 32GB to 64GB

While these are all good, the camera itself is a bit sluggish. The camera movement isn’t as smooth as other competing brands, but it’s forgivable.

Also, just a reminder that you can’t be able to play this on rainy weathers even if it’s just a drizzle. Unlike modern smartphones since 2016, this isn’t waterproof but that’s why the price is quite low compared to other brands.

Overall, it’s enough to get you playing Pokemon Go without worrying about performance and battery life. For a low price, it’s a sure deal.

If The Flash had his own phone, this would be it. OnePlus 6 is the manufacturer’s flagship phone that oozes with style and elegance.

OnePlus is considered by many Android users as a sleeper hit in the community thanks to its overall high performance.

It is also powered up by the latest Snapdragon SoC, the Snapdragon 845, introducing a new batch of phone whose powers can rival that of its big sibling laptops.

Underneath the stylish sporty design is packed with beefy specs that is just the equivalent of Chris Evans as Captain America, combining pretty boy looks and the physique of Samson.

Here are the specs that make this such a powerful phone:

3300 mAh that makes the battery life die hard.

Astonishing 19:9 aspect ratio on FHD resolution

A whopping 1080×2280 screen resolution on a 6.28” display

6 to 8GB of RAM which is great for multitasking while playing Pokemon Go

Latest gyroscope technology for seamless augmented reality

Premium gorilla glass design that will not have you worry about dropping it while playing

Storage capacity from 64 to 256GB

The only downside to this is that it doesn’t have an expandable storage but as long as you’re not worried about stacking up files. Another is the unusually subpar loudspeaker as if it was made in 2011.

But if you don’t mind all that, this is a keeper.

Seriously, this is a beast and a great buddy to have when playing Pokemon Go. Machamp would be proud.

Samsung’s very own Galaxy Note 9 is the brand’s most ambitious phone product they have ever made.

They literally crammed everything that’s good in a smartphone and put it all in one convenient package. A package that is full of surprises and heaven-sent perks.

The Note 9 isn’t just a smartphone–it’s your new best friend.

If you’re the business type of guy, this is for you. If you’re the casual techie dude, this was made for you. If you’re into mobile games including Pokemon Go, then settle for nothing else but this.

After the disappointing Galaxy Note 5 and the explosive flop of the Note 7, Samsung really showed their apologies by creating a successor to the already-great Note 8.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is like a passive companion that knows just how to aid you with all your mobile needs.

But perhaps the most relevant features of the Note 9 are its brand-new stylus and 4000 mAh battery. We’ve seen it time and time again that Samsung wanted to “innovate” the stylus but this time they nailed it.

It works well as a Mini-Me to the phone itself: as a remote, a camera clicker, and, for Pokemon Go, a controller. No, not the DualShock 4 kind of controller but rather something that makes you feel like a magician swishing the crap out of your wand but in the form of a Pokemon captor.

As for the battery, you can bet this phone can stay up more than a day even with multiple running apps.

Let’s take a look at its specs shall we:

A behemoth 4000 mAh battery that will literally let you play Pokemon Go all day and night

The phone even has a back-up self-charging in case you just need that extra effort to capture a mythical Pokemon at low battery

A large 6.4” infinity display, backed up by Quad HD and Super AMOLED

Aspect ratio of 18:5:9 that makes you look like you’re holding a picture than a phone if it wasn’t for the apps

Fueled by the Snapdragon 845 CPU that complements the Note 9 screen to deliver the smoothest gameplay ever

A good 6 to 8GB of RAM for no-lag experience even with multiple apps running

The most advanced stylus to date that can act as a motion controller for your play session to make capturing Pokemon more interesting

Expandable data storage up to 1TB

It’s no surprise that with all those perks comes the serious drawback–the price. This is by far the most expensive flagship in the Note series to date, rivaling directly at Apple’s overpriced iPhone XS except the Note 9 has more value for its loyal customers.

In short, go get the Note 9 if you have the big budget. We assure you–you won’t be disappointed at all.

Conclusion

These are the top 5 phones you’ll ever need to find all the Pokemon you need all day and night or if you just want to run to the most chill Pokestop.

Your priority should be the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 as it delivers everything great about phones, both gaming, and business.

If you couldn’t afford such a phone, you can always go with the OnePlus 6. It’s like Superman became a phone due to its powerful specs at a very reasonable price.

If you want something smaller but packs the same punch as its larger competing phones, the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact is just right for you.

If you’re on a tight budget but still looking for a decent phone that is still worth displaying for its good design and specs, the Moto G6 is your ticket.

But if it’s just an all-around phone that you’re looking for and you only need it to play Pokemon Go, the HTC 10 will do just fine.

Also if you’re wondering whether or not Pokemon Go is still a thing, yes it is. In fact, it’s still one of the top-grossing mobile games out there even after 2 years following the mainstream hype.

Now go out there and fill up your phone with common Rattatas and Weedles or go meme on the streets with the pesky rascals of Team Instinct.

Every gamer craves for the best headset that provides everything from godsend audio quality, most comfortable earpads that are better than your pillow in bed, and a clear microphone that doesn’t jitter.

However, to afford such kind of headset, you will need to spend a lot of money as much as $299 or even more.

But what if you only have a budget of less than $100 and still want to have a top-quality headset?

Worry no more as we will dive deep into good cheap gaming headsets.

Now let’s go over to the big question:

What makes a good gaming headset while on a budget?

Audio Quality

This may be a no-brainer but of course, top quality audio is what you need.

So how “good” should good audio quality should be?

To make things simple without getting too technical, the most important traits of a wonderful audio quality are clarity and bass.

Clarity in the sound department is important as you want to hear the game fully like you’re witnessing a choir singing in a theater. The last thing we want is to hear muffled audio while your favorite Halo theme song is playing on the main menu.

Clearer audio makes for better immersion into the game as you get to hear everything from the humming orchestra while exploring a forest, travelers chatting together from a distance, the birds chirping on the trees, and hearing every footstep your character makes.

Bass is also what makes good sound quality. Yes, some people like their sounds with more bass while some want it less; A headset that delivers the right amount of bass is good enough—not too much, not too less.

Without bass, there is a good chance that there will be bad “tearing” quality when something loud comes up such as explosions or the loud clanging of swords contacting each other. It’s very unpleasant to the ears unless the headset has good enough bass support.

Comfort

Another important trait that you must look forward to is the overall comfort of the headset.

Everything from the softness of the earpads to the adjustable headgear should be taken into account.

If the earpads aren’t comfortable enough, you will begin to feel an agitation after hours or even minutes of prolonged headset usage.

Sweat is also part of the standards for comfort. The longer you use the headset in one seating, the more sweat you build up.

The last thing you want is sweat dripping off your headphones after you take it off or sweat soaking up within the earpads and the speakers themselves, causing a rupture in the audio.

If the earpad material isn’t high-grade quality, the coating itself will deteriorate as time goes by.

A headset with good earpads should be able to absorb the sweat without feeling soaked.

Luckily, this article is full of headsets that don’t feel cheap when it comes to comfort, be it earpad comfort or sweat build-up.

Microphone Quality

Let’s face it, a lot of headphones suck when it comes to mic quality unless you’re buying something that is beyond your budget. The last thing you want is a headset with a microphone that sounds like you were talking in the sewers.

Good microphone quality is equal to good communication, especially in the competitive gaming department.

Don’t you just hate when you’re saying something important to your teammates only to have them reply with, “Huh? I didn’t get what you said.” It blows, right?

Fortunately, the budget headsets we have here are all above standard when it comes to mic quality.

Should I get wired or wireless?

The answer to whether or not you want something traditionally wired or wireless is all up to you. Just take note of the following:

Wired Headset

Headphones attached with wires are always connected with either 3.5 mm jack or USB or even both by default. This is your usual no-fuss tried and tested type of headsets which you can never go wrong with.

The only flaws here are that they get tangled easily if you aren’t careful and they only have a limited range from the input.

Nonetheless, this is generally the preferred type of headset for PC players and console gamers

Wireless Headset

Some people get easily stressed out by wires and to deal with that, wireless headphones exist. A wireless headset looks very minimalistic as an audio apparatus and is always nice to look at.

Just expect wireless headsets to be on the range of $80 to $99 for good sound quality and smooth audio without lag.

There are also downsides to using wireless headphones, however.

One of the biggest cons is that it is battery-charged. If you don’t charge your headset regularly, it’s going to break your momentum during a heated game when it dies down in the middle of a fight.

Another is that since this is signal-based, any obstructions will cause the audio to lag. You need to have a clear pathway for your audio source to your wireless headset.

Wireless gaming headsets are recommended for console and PC gamers who want no stress at all on wires.

Later on in the article, we’ll be showing the best wireless gaming headset under 100 for each platform: PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Presenting the best gaming headphones under 100

Without further ado, let’s get the show on the road and ogle at our top picks for great gaming headsets.

They all sound and feel so good that you wouldn’t want to have a higher-end headset.

Sennheiser not only proves everyone that they don’t just make one of the best audio peripherals for the general audience but they can make a bombastic gaming headset for its niche demographic too.

Meet the Sennheiser GSP 302: a gaming headset that is easy to use and easy to the ears.

Whether you’re playing on the PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch or mobile, audio quality stays the same with pitch-perfect sounds and beefy bass.

Compared to the others in this list, this is one of the most affordable headphones on the list that packs a huge punch with competent sound quality and comfortable design.

Here are the best parts about the GSP 302:

Uses a closed back headset design supported by high-grade memory foam that makes this the best in noise cancellation among the rest in the list

Remarkable bass performance that vibrates just right without getting too intense

Earpads are coated with top-quality faux leather for long-lasting usage

It may be a stereo headset but it feels like it can be surround too thanks to its clear sound delivery

Microphone has the clearest sound among the rest in this list

Fancy volume control on the right ear that feels very responsive and smooth

There are a few mishaps, however, but not that much of a deal:

Since the pads are made from faux leather, the sweat from your ears will eventually form on the cups themselves. Luckily it’s very easy to wipe it off and the faux leather itself is surprisingly soft and comfortable for the ears even after long periods of usage.

Another bit of a flaw is the cable itself. Modern gaming headset wires are usually braided to ensure it doesn’t break easily but the Sennheiser’s thin wire is quite delicate; make sure you aren’t careless with the wire or it loosens/breaks sooner than expected.

For its price, it’s beyond worth it.

If it wasn’t for the thin wire, this could’ve been our top spot but nonetheless, the Sennheiser GSP 302 is worth every penny.

Truth be told, only a few wireless gaming headsets stand out since most of them either have a short battery life or have a short lifespan before the audio quality and connection start to deteriorate.

We give you the Corsair Void Pro RGB Wireless Gaming Headset: a wireless beauty that delivers quite a punch as wireless headphones.

If you would like to experience the goodness of Corsair’s gaming headset on console, you can always buy the Void Pro RGB USB wired version. It has the same specs as the wireless rendition minus the USB power transmitter and the wireless function.

While it may not work best on consoles like the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, it does show its best on PC.

If you haven’t known by now, it’s the direct successor to the Corsair Void—an already good headset but with slightly fewer features.

The Void Pro is very responsive with an extremely low latency that doesn’t lag up to 40 ft which are quite amazing given that this is less than $100. Audio quality is superb, earpads are wonderfully comfortable and it’s filled with lots of features.

Let’s check out the overall specs of the Corsair.

Delivers 7.1 surround sound that helps you immerse into the game even more

Discord-certified 50 mm neodymium speaker drivers that enhance the audio quality even more

High-quality unidirectional noise cancel microphone with a quick response time of 100 Hz to 10 kHz

Microphone is backed up by an LED mute indicator that reduces background noises for better voice quality

Very long battery life of up to 16 hours

Powered by a USB transmitter

Again, the biggest drawback here is that it only works well on the PC but not much on consoles. Yes, the headset is viable for console gaming however when we tested it on the PS4 and the Xbox One, there were unusual mishaps that we never found on PC: the audio was laggy and the microphone wasn’t performing smoothly.

In short, if you want to opt for a wireless headset for the PC, you have to have this.

Here are the main features that make it the best for the Sony PlayStation 4:

Made with Turtle Beach’s award-winning virtual surround sound technology that makes the game more alive with its stellar audio delivery

Large 50 mm speakers for “crisp highs and deep thundering lows” according to their official description

Earpads are covered with mesh fabric that makes it one of the most comfortable wireless headsets in this list

Turtle Beach’s exclusive ProSpecs technology makes it highly ergonomic for gamers who wear glasses by removing the pressure on glasses

Has an exclusive SuperHuman Hearing technology that will have you hearing the environment even more such as approaching enemy footsteps and distant weapon reloads—ideal for competitive gaming

Fast speaker frequency response of 20 Hz – 20 kHz

However, unlike the PlayStation Platinum Wireless Headset, this one does not feature any game mode toggle buttons. But that shouldn’t be a big issue since this is way cheaper than the PS Platinum Wireless Headset.

If you’re a PS4 player looking for an affordable wireless headset, you should consider buying this.

Do not worry, Xbox fans. Turtle Beach also has something good for you—the Ear Force XO One gaming headset.

This is considered as an entry-level headset according to Xbox fans but unlike other starter headphones, this one is very beefy in the audio department with features that optimize the experience of both the headset and the console.